Tramway.



No. 628,283. Patented my 4, |399.

, E. w. PARSONS.

TRAMWAY.

(App'limi'on med my 25, 189s.)

(No Mode-I.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR W. PARSONS, OF NINEVEH JUNCTION, NE\V YORK.

TRAMWAY.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 628,283, dated July 4, 1899.

4 Application filed May 25, 1898.

To all whom t may concern:A

Be it'known that l, EDGAR W. PARSONS, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Nineveh Junction, in the county of Chenango and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Tramway, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to provide animproved roadway particularly adapted for railroad trafiic, but which may be used in the construction of pavements andl'ike surfaces subjected to abrasive action and the wear and tear of draft-animals and vehicles thereover.

Inasmuch as the invent-ion is specially designed for tramways it is illustrated in this connection in the accompanying drawings, although with slight alterations and changes it may be adapted for other use s, as herein outlined.

VFor a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is t be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description. i

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of.v the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, 'in which` Figure l is a top plan view of aportion of one side of a tramway constructed in accordance with this invention,the dotted lines showing `the relative position` of the rail-chair and the longitudinal and transverse irons formingthe network, which is embedded in the concrete or like composition forming the roadbed. Fig. 2 is a transverse section. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a rail-chair and the parts cooperating-therewith. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of overlapping the several rail-sections.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

' v The rail-chair l may be of any height and form and, as shown, is-a block having lateral extensions 2 in the plane of its base, said chair and extensions being integrally cast. The

l by trenches formed in the ground.

.lateral extensions 2 present an extended base and are depressed in their upper faces, forming seats 3,-which receive pipes 4, extending in longitudinal and parallel relation, and which, vbeing embedded in the asphalt, concrete, or other substance 5, serve to hold the rail-chair from vertical displacement. These pipes 4 may be utilized for conveying gas, water, electric wires, or like means protected The chair has vertical openings 13, which are internally threaded and disposed contiguous to the outer ends thereof for the reception of bolts G, by means of which the rail 7 is held in place.

A sleeper 10 is placed upon the rail-chair, and consists of a board of suitable thickness and of a width corresponding to the distance between the longitudinal edges of the base portion of the rail 7, and upon this sleeper is placed the rail, which is held in position by the heads of the bolts 6, extending over its foot or base. The sleeper 10 being of a fibrous nature acts as a noise-deadener and compensates in a great measure for the vibration of the rail and results in obviating a greater part of the jar and jolt incident to railway traffic.

Transverse rods or bars 11 rest upon the pipes 4 and project beyond the latter a distance corresponding to about the width of the bed and are intended to provide a firm anchorage for the rail-chair by holding the latlter down when embedded in the asphalt, concrete, or other plastic and self-hardening composition forming the bed. The width and length of the bed will correspond largely to the distance apart of the rails comprisingthe track and to the number of rail-chairs in a given distance. This bed will he composed of asphalt, broken stone, concrete, or a composition of slag and refuse matter and cement.

' The rail-chair with the longitudinal pipes 4 and transverse rods l1 form an anchorage which is embeddediu the concrete, and after the latter sets is securely and irmly held in place, the composition and parts embedded therein forming a composite sleeper. By omitting the tie-rods, the sleeper 10, rail 7, and bolts 6 the bed will form a roadway or pavement for general uses.

Each rail is preferably composed of two longitudinal sections A and B, and these sec- IOO vri

tions are arranged to overlap for a distance of one-half their length, as clearly shown in Fig. et, which disposes the joints() at equal distances and alternately upon the inside and the outside of the rail, forming practically a continuous rail. The meeting ends of the rail-sections are secured together bya {ishplate and bolts 14, passing through the fish-plate, the ends of the meeting sections, and through the continuous railsection, and further braced by means of a tie-rod 8, passing through the continuons rail and the Iishplate, but between the ends of the meeting sections,-and clamped thereon by nuts 1G, arranged upon both sides of the rail. This tierod 8, it will be understood, extends across vthe track to the joint in the other rail, and thus braces the pair of rails as Well as the rail-joints.

In order that the base or foot of the rail may not project above the surface of the bed 5, the chair l is let into said bed a distance so that the sleeper will come about flush with the upper side of said bed, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

By the construction and arrangement as herein described an exceedingly rigid and durable rail-joint is provided which can be readily taken apart to substitute a new railsection or for any needed repairs.

Having thus described the invention, what upon the lateral extensions, transverse rods placed upon the longitudinal pipes, a rail supported upon the rail-chair, bolts or like fastenings secured in vertical openings formed )in the chair and holding the rail thereto, and a concrete, asphalt or plastic composition, forming a bed and having the rail-chair, longitudinal pipes and transverse rods embedded therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I myown I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDGAR XV. PARSONS.

Vitnesses:

LESTER W. CLARK, S. S. WEBSTER. 

